Volume I Part 32 (1/2)
”Stop, Sir!” said Thorn, as the young Englishman was turning away, adding with an oath ?”I wont bear this! You shall answer this to me, Sir!”
”Easily,” said the other.
”And me, too,” said Rossitur. ”You have an account to settle with me, Carleton.”
”I will answer what you please,” said Carleton, carelessly; ”and as soon as we get to land, provided you do not, in the meantime, induce me to refuse you the honour.”
However incensed, the young men endeavoured to carry it off with the same coolness that their adversary showed. No more words pa.s.sed; but Mrs. Carleton, possibly quickened by Fleda's fears, was not satisfied with the carriage of all parties, and resolved to sound her son, happy in knowing that nothing but truth was to be had from him. She found an opportunity that very afternoon, when he was sitting alone on the deck. The neighbourhood of little Fleda she hardly noticed. Fleda was curled up among her cus.h.i.+ons, luxuriously bending over a little old black Bible, which was very often in her hand at times when she was quiet and had no observation to fear.
”Reading! always reading!” said Mrs. Carleton, as she came up and took a place by her son.
”By no means!” he said, closing his book with a smile; ? ”not enough to tire any one's eyes on this voyage, mother.”
”I wish you liked intercourse with living society,” said Mrs.
Carleton, leaning her arm on his shoulder and looking at him rather wistfully.
”You need not wish that ? when it suits me,” he answered.
”But none suits you. Is there any on board?”
”A small proportion,” he said, with the slight play of feature which always effected a diversion of his mother's thoughts, no matter in what channel they had been flowing.
”But those young men,” she said, returning to the charge, ”you hold yourself very much aloof from them?”
He did not answer, even by a look, but to his mother the perfectly quiet composure of his face was sufficiently expressive.
”I know what you think; but, Guy, you always had the same opinion of them?”
”I have never shown any other.”
”Guy,” she said, speaking low and rather anxiously, ”have you got into trouble with those young men?”
”I am in no trouble, mother,” he answered, somewhat haughtily; ”I cannot speak for them.”
Mrs. Carleton waited a moment.
”You have done something to displease them, have you not?”
”They have displeased me, which is somewhat more to the purpose.”
”But their folly is nothing to you?”
”No ? not their folly.”
”Guy,” said his mother, again pausing a minute, and pressing her hand more heavily upon his shoulder, ”you will not suffer this to alter the friendly terms you have been on? ? whatever it be, let it pa.s.s.”
”Certainly; if they choose to apologize, and behave themselves.”
”What ? about Fleda?”
”Yes.”